Boy, 10, sues father for taking £8000 from his ‘gift money’ to fund second wedding

A 10-year-old boy in China went to court after his father took nearly 80,000 yuan (£8,600) of his Lunar New Year gift money to fund his second wedding.

The boy sued his father for using his New Year “red envelope” money for personal expenses, drawing widespread public attention to the case and sparking a debate on social media. A Chinese court has now ordered the man to repay the boy.

The child had the money deposited in a bank account managed by his divorced father, whom he was living with at the time in Zhengzhou in Henan province.

After the boy moved in with his mother following his father’s remarriage, they discovered the man had emptied the account, including the interest accrued on the savings.

The mother later learned that the entire 82,750 yuan had been used to cover the man’s wedding expenses.

Repeated attempts by the boy and his mother to recover the money were unsuccessful as the father argued the gift money had been given by his relatives and friends over the years. He said he would return the money once the child reached adulthood.

He also claimed the boy was being influenced by his mother for financial gain.

The boy eventually filed a lawsuit against his father to recover the money.

The court ruled that monetary gifts given to minors constituted personal property once transferred under China’s civil code, and that parents, as legal guardians, were only entitled to manage a child’s assets.

The court said the money could only be used by a guardian if it was in the child’s direct interests, such as for their education or medical needs. Using the funds for personal expenses of the guardian infringed upon the child’s rights, it added.

In China, the Lunar New Year "lucky money" is traditionally gifted in red envelopes to children and elders to bestow good fortune and blessings. Over the years, it has become a topic of debate among families whether parents should hold the money for children or use it.